[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 110th Congress]
[110th Congress]
[House Document 109-157]
[Rules of the House of Representatives]
[Pages 600-614]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 

                                Rule XII


Messages
              receipt and referral of measures and matters




815. Entry of messages in the Journal and 
Record.

  1.  Messages received from the Senate, or from the President, 
shall be entered on the Journal and published in the Congressional 
Record of the proceedings of that day.


  This provision was adopted in 1867 and amended in 1880 (V, 6593). It 
was renumbered January 3, 1953 (p. 24). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former rule 
XXXIX (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47).


Referral
  The House may receive a message from the Senate when the Senate is not 
in session (VIII, 3338).



816. Referral procedures.

  2.  (a) The Speaker shall refer 
each bill, resolution, or other matter that relates to a subject listed 
under a standing committee named in clause 1 of rule X in accordance 
with the provisions of this clause.



[[Page 601]]

clause only to the extent that they will contribute to the achievement 
of the objectives of this clause.
  (b) The Speaker shall refer matters under paragraph (a) in such manner 
as to ensure to the maximum extent feasible that each committee that has 
jurisdiction under clause 1 of rule X over the subject matter of a 
provision thereof may consider such provision and report to the House 
thereon. Precedents, rulings, or procedures in effect before the Ninety-
Fourth Congress shall be applied to referrals under this

  (c) In carrying out paragraphs (a) and (b) with respect to the 
referral of a matter, the Speaker--

      (1) shall designate a committee of primary jurisdiction (except 
where he determines that extraordinary circumstances justify review by 
more than one committee as though primary);

      (2) may refer the matter to one or more additional committees for 
consideration in sequence, either initially or after the matter has been 
reported by the committee of primary jurisdiction;

      (3) may refer portions of the matter reflecting different subjects 
and jurisdictions to one or more additional committees;

      (4) may refer the matter to a special, ad hoc committee appointed 
by the Speaker with the approval of the House, and including members of 
the committees of jurisdiction, for the specific purpose of considering 
that matter and reporting to the House thereon;

      (5) may subject a referral to appropriate time limitations; and


      (6) may make such other provision as may be considered 
appropriate.


[[Page 602]]

referred. In the 104th Congress paragraph (c) was again amended to 
require the Speaker to initially designate a committee of primary 
jurisdiction in each referral of a measure to more than one committee 
(sec. 205, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 467). In the 108th Congress the 
parenthetical exception in paragraph (c)(1) was added (sec. 2(i), H. 
Res. 5, Jan. 7, 2003, p. 7). A paragraph (e) was added to the clause on 
January 4, 1977 (H. Res. 5, pp. 53-70) to abolish the legislative 
jurisdiction in the House of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. The 
legislative jurisdiction of the Joint Committee was divided among the 
Committees on Armed Services (military applications of nuclear energy), 
Interior and Insular Affairs (now Natural Resources) (regulation of the 
domestic nuclear energy industry, since transferred to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce in the 104th Congress), Foreign Affairs 
(nonproliferation of nuclear energy and international nuclear export 
agreements), Interstate and Foreign Commerce (now Energy and Commerce) 
(the same jurisdiction over nuclear energy as exercised over other 
energy), and Science and Technology (nondefense nuclear research and 
development). In addition, the Committee on Interstate and Foreign 
Commerce (now Energy and Commerce) was given oversight jurisdiction over 
all laws, programs, and government activities affecting nuclear energy. 
Paragraph (e) was deleted entirely in the 97th Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 
5, 1981, p. 98). At the same time the House deleted former paragraph 
(d), which required the Congressional Research Service of the Library of 
Congress to prepare factual descriptions of each bill or resolution 
introduced in the House to be published in the Congressional Record. 
Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this 
provision was found in former clause 5 of rule X (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 
1999, p. 47).
  This provision became effective as part of the rules on January 3, 
1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34470). Before that time 
a bill or resolution could not be divided for reference among two or 
more committees, although it contained matter properly within the 
jurisdiction of several committees (IV, 4361). Paragraph (c) was amended 
on January 4, 1977 (H. Res. 5, pp. 53-70) to authorize the Speaker to 
place an appropriate time limit for consideration by the first committee 
or committees to which

  An order of the House precluding or limiting the potential for 
organizational or legislative business on certain days was considered 
not to deprive Members of the privilege of introducing bills and 
resolutions during pro forma sessions on those days, such measures being 
numbered on the day introduced but not noted in the Record or referred 
to committee until the day on which business was resumed (H. Con. Res. 
260, 102d Cong., Nov. 26, 1991, p. 35840, extended by unanimous consent 
on Jan. 22, 1992, p. 149, and Jan. 28, 1992, p. 745; H. Res. 619, 109th 
Cong., Dec. 16, 2005, p. ----, amended by H. Res. 640, 109th Cong., Dec. 
18, 2005, p. ----).


[[Page 603]]

within a certain period after the other committee reports to the House 
(Speaker O'Neill, Jan. 27, 1983, p. 937; Speaker O'Neill, Feb. 2, 1983, 
p. 1492; Speaker Wright, Apr. 9, 1987, p. 8665) or with a time limit on 
one committee ending with a date certain (Speaker O'Neill, July 31, 
1985, p. 21936; Speaker Hastert, Mar. 13, 2001, p. 3448; Speaker 
Hastert, July 26, 2002, p. 15146). The Speaker may discharge a committee 
from further consideration of a bill not reported by it within the time 
for which the bill was referred and place the bill on the appropriate 
calendar (Speaker O'Neill, May 8, 1978, p. 12924).
  Under clause 2(c), the Speaker may (1) refer a bill to more than one 
committee for their respective consideration of such provisions of the 
bill as fall within their jurisdiction (Speaker Albert, Feb. 25, 1976, 
p. 4315), (2) divide a matter for initial reference to committees 
(Speaker Albert, Feb. 4, 1975, p. 2253; Speaker Hastert, Apr. 26, 1999, 
p. 7354), or (3) refer designated portions of a bill to one committee 
while referring the entire bill to another committee (Speaker O'Neill, 
Mar. 3, 1982, p. 3155). The Speaker also may set appropriate time 
limitations on the initial reference to each committee (Speaker O'Neill, 
Feb. 16, 1977, p. 4532; Speaker O'Neill, May 2, 1977, p. 13184). For 
example, the Speaker may refer a bill to two committees, with a time 
limit on one of the committees ending

  Before paragraph (c) was amended in the 104th Congress to require the 
Speaker to designate a committee of primary jurisdiction, the Speaker 
announced at the convening of the 98th Congress that he would exercise 
his authority, in situations that warranted it, to designate a primary 
committee among those to which a bill was jointly referred, and to 
impose time limits on committees having a secondary interest following 
the report of the primary committee under a joint referral (Speaker 
O'Neill, Jan. 3, 1983, p. 54; reiterated by Speaker Foley, Jan. 5, 1993, 
p. 105). The Speaker may refer a bill primarily to one committee while 
also referring it initially to additional committees for time periods to 
be subsequently determined when the primary committee reports, in each 
case for consideration of matters within their respective jurisdictions 
(Speaker Gingrich, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 123).

  Pursuant to the Speaker's authority under clause 2 of rule XIV 
(formerly clause 2 of rule XXIV), relating to messages from the Senate, 
he has discretionary authority to refer from the Speaker's table to 
standing committees, Senate amendments to House-passed bills, under any 
conditions permitted under this provision for introduced bills; he may 
for example impose a time limitation for consideration only of a portion 
of the Senate amendment, not germane to the original House bill, by the 
standing committee with subject-matter jurisdiction, without referring 
the remainder of the Senate amendment to the House committee with 
jurisdiction over the original House bill (Speaker O'Neill, H.R. 31, 
Mar. 26, 1981, p. 5397). Beginning with the 98th Congress, the Speaker 
announced a policy of referring nongermane Senate amendments under 
certain conditions (Speaker O'Neill, Jan. 3, 1983, p. 54; Speaker Foley, 
Jan. 5, 1993, p. 105).


[[Page 604]]

eration of ``such provisions of the bill and amendment recommended by 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce as propose to narrow the purview of 
the Attorney General under section 271 of the Communications Act of 
1934'' (Speaker Hastert, May 24, 2001, p. 9384). The Speaker exercised 
his authority under this clause to sequentially refer a joint resolution 
making continuing appropriations, reported as privileged by the 
Committee on Appropriations, to the committee having legislative 
jurisdiction over a legislative provision in the resolution, without a 
time limitation on the sequential referral (Speaker O'Neill, Sept. 22, 
1983, p. 25523).


Sec. 816a. Sequential referral procedures.

  Under  clause 
2(c), the Speaker has authority to sequentially refer a bill reported 
from a committee to other committees for a time certain for 
consideration of such portions of the bill as fall within their 
respective jurisdictions (Speaker Albert, Apr. 9, 1976, p. 10265; 
Speaker Albert, May 17, 1976, p. 14093). Under that authority, the 
Speaker may limit a sequential referral to matters having a direct 
effect on subjects within the committee's jurisdiction (Speaker O'Neill, 
Apr. 5, 1982, p. 6580; Speaker O'Neill, June 7, 1983, p. 14699; Speaker 
Wright, Sept. 9, 1987, p. 23648). For example, the Speaker sequentially 
referred a bill reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce to the 
Committee on the Judiciary for a specified time for consid


  The Speaker has sometimes announced the application of his authority 
on sequential referrals at the outset of a Congress. For example, in the 
97th Congress, the Speaker announced that the sequential referral of a 
measure would be based on the subject matter of any amendment 
recommended by the reporting committee, as well as upon the original 
text of the measure (Speaker O'Neill, Jan. 5, 1981, pp. 115, 116). In 
the 100th Congress, the Speaker announced that, in certain cases, a 
sequential referral would be based only upon the text of a reported 
substitute amendment in lieu of original text (Speaker Wright, Jan. 6, 
1987, p. 22). The Speaker has sequentially referred (1) a bill for 
consideration of the bill and amendment of the previous committee 
(Speaker O'Neill, Oct. 13, 1977, p. 33716); (2) a bill to two committees 
for different periods of time, solely for consideration of designated 
sections of the first committee's recommended amendment (Speaker 
O'Neill, May 18, 1982, p. 10418; Speaker O'Neill, Aug. 1, 1985, p. 
22681); (3) a bill for consideration by a third committee of a portion 
of an amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by one of the 
committees to which the bill had been initially referred (Speaker 
O'Neill, May 22, 1985, p. 13126); and (4) a bill back to the first-
reporting committee when it was reported from the second-reporting 
committee with a nongermane amendment within the jurisdiction of the 
first committee and not within the bounds of the initial referral 
(Speaker Wright, Oct. 4, 1988, p. 28242). The Speaker also may base a 
sequential referral only on the text of the bill as introduced, even 
where a bill is reported by the primary committee with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute (Speaker Gingrich, Sept. 12, 1995, p. 24791). 
For example, the Speaker sequentially referred a bill where the 
amendment recommended by the primary committee would delete portions of 
the bill within the jurisdiction of the sequential committee (Speaker 
Hastert, May 10, 1999, p. 8690).


[[Page 605]]

but amended in committee to address general water resource policy 
affecting irrigation and reclamation projects and soil conservation 
programs, to the Committees on Agriculture and Interior and Insular 
Affairs (now Natural Resources) for consideration of provisions of the 
committee amendment within their jurisdiction (Speaker O'Neill, May 20, 
1981, p. 10361).
  In the 96th Congress, the Speaker followed a more restrictive policy, 
permitting a sequential committee to review (1) those portions of 
introduced text within its jurisdiction and (2) those portions of an 
amendment within its jurisdiction when the introduced version also 
warranted a sequential referral to the committee (Speaker O'Neill, Apr. 
15, 1980, p. 7760). The Speaker first exercised the authority to base 
referrals on committee amendments by sequentially referring a bill 
reported from the Committee on Public Works and Transportation (now 
Transportation and Infrastructure), relating only to Corps of Engineers' 
water projects as introduced

  The Speaker may (1) discharge a measure from the Union Calendar and 
sequentially refer it to another committee (Speaker O'Neill, Apr. 27, 
1978, p. 11742; Speaker O'Neill, May 21, 1982, p. 11169; Speaker 
O'Neill, June 19, 1986, p. 14741; Speaker Foley, June 12, 1990, p. 
13670; Speaker Hastert, Nov. 30, 2001, p. 23681); (2) sequentially refer 
a bill that has been initially referred to several committees but 
reported only by one, for consideration of the reporting committee's 
amendment (Speaker O'Neill, June 17, 1982, p. 14069; Speaker Foley, 
Sept. 5, 1990, p. 23477); and (3) sequentially refer a bill referred to 
more than one committee when the first committee reports, for a period 
ending a number of days after the next committee reports (Speaker 
O'Neill, Aug. 1, 1985, p. 22681), or after all committees report 
(Speaker Wright, June 10, 1988, p. 14079).

  The Speaker may (1) extend the time of a sequentially referred bill 
and may refer the bill to yet another committee under the same 
sequential referral conditions (Speaker Albert, June 1, 1976, p. 16588); 
(2) delimit the period for sequential consideration of a bill in terms 
of legislative days (Speaker Wright, June 30, 1988, p. 16597); or (3) 
sequentially refer a bill without day (Speaker Wright, Sept. 27, 1988, 
p. 25827). On the last day of an expiring sequential referral, a 
committee has until midnight to file its report with the Clerk (Oct. 9, 
1991, p. 26045).



Sec. 816b. Referral procedures to an ad hoc select 
committee.

  Resolutions  authorizing the Speaker to establish an ad hoc committee 
for the consideration of a particular bill under paragraph (c) of this 
clause, and extending the reporting date for such a committee, are 
privileged when offered from the floor at the Speaker's request (Speaker 
Albert, Apr. 22, 1975, p. 11261; Speaker Albert, Jan. 26, 1976, p. 876; 
Speaker O'Neill, Jan. 11, 1977, pp. 894-98; Speaker O'Neill, Apr. 21, 
1977, pp. 11550-56).


  Pursuant to his authority under paragraph (c)(4), the Speaker may 
refer a bill to a special ad hoc committee appointed by him with the 
approval of the House (from the members of the committees with 
legislative jurisdiction) for consideration and report on that 
particular bill (Speaker Albert, Apr. 22, 1975, p. 11261) or may jointly 
refer a report of a select committee filed with the Clerk to standing 
committees of the House for their study (Speaker Albert, Feb. 16, 1976, 
p. 3158).


[[Page 606]]

by this clause (H. Res. 508, Apr. 21, 1977, pp. 11550-56; Speaker 
O'Neill, July 11, 1977, p. 22183; Speaker O'Neill, July 20, 1977, p. 
24167). For a discussion of Speaker's referrals to the former Select 
Committees on Homeland Security, see Sec. 723b, supra.
  The Speaker may refer to an ad hoc committee, established with the 
approval of the House, bills, resolutions, and other matters (including 
messages and communications) for the purpose of considering such matters 
and reporting to the House thereon, and the resolution creating such a 
committee may specify whether referrals to such a committee shall be by 
initial or sequential reference or by any of the other methods provided


  Clause 7 provides the mechanism for changes of referrals erroneously 
made.




Sec. 817. Restriction on the reference of claims.

  (d)  A bill 
for the payment or adjudication of a private claim against the 
Government may not be referred to a committee other than the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs or the Committee on the Judiciary, except by 
unanimous consent.


  The present form of this paragraph was made effective January 2, 1947, 
as a part of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 812). 
It was amended several times to conform references to renamed committees 
(H. Res. 163, Mar. 19, 1975, p. 7343; H. Res. 89, Feb. 5, 1979, p. 1848; 
sec. 202(b), H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 467; sec. 213(d), H. Res. 6, 
Jan. 4, 2007, p. ----). The old rule, adopted in 1885 and amended May 
29, 1936, provided that private claims bills be referred to a Committee 
on Invalid Pensions, Claims, War Claims, Public Lands, and Accounts, in 
addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and the Judiciary. Certain 
private bills, resolutions and amendments are barred (see Sec. 822, 
infra). Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, 
this provision was found in former clause 4 of rule XXI (H. Res. 5, Jan. 
6, 1999, p. 47).


Petitions, memorials, and private bills
  Under this paragraph unanimous consent is required for the reference 
of a bill for the payment of a private claim to a committee other than 
the Committee on the Judiciary or the Committee on Foreign Affairs (May 
4, 1978, p. 12615). The Committee on the Judiciary, and not the 
Committee on Ways and Means, has jurisdiction over a private bill 
specifying that a certain annuity fund is exempt from taxation under 
provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (Deschler, ch. 17, Sec. 43.22).


[[Page 607]]

Speaker to be obscene or insulting) shall be entered on the Journal with 
the name of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner presenting it 
and shall be printed in the Congressional Record.



818. Introduction and reference of petitions, 
memorials, and private bills.

  3. If a  Member, Delegate, or Resident 
Commissioner has a petition, memorial, or private bill to present, he 
shall endorse his name, deliver it to the Clerk, and may specify the 
reference or disposition to be made thereof. Such petition, memorial, or 
private bill (except when judged by the


  At the first organization of the House in 1789 the rules then adopted 
provided for the presentation of petitions to the House by the Speaker 
and Members, and for the introduction of bills by motion for leave. In 
1842 it was found necessary, in order to save time, to provide that 
petitions and memorials should be filed with the Clerk. In 1870, 1879, 
and 1887 the practice as to petitions was extended to private bills, at 
first as to certain classes and later so that all should be filed with 
the Clerk (IV, 3312, 3365; VII, 1024). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former clause 1 
of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47).



Sec. 819. Duties of Speaker and Members 
in presenting petitions.

  Petitions, memorials,  and other papers addressed to the House may 
be presented by the Speaker as well as by a Member (IV, 3312). Petitions 
from the country at large are presented by the Speaker in the manner 
prescribed by the rule (III, 2030; IV, 3318; VII, 1025). A Member may 
present a petition from the people of a State other than his own (IV, 
3315, 3316). The House itself may refer one portion of a petition to one 
committee and another portion to another committee (IV, 3359, 3360), but 
ordinarily the reference of a petition does not come before the House 
itself. A committee may receive a petition only through the House (IV, 
4557).




Sec. 820. As to division of bills for 
reference.

  The parliamentary  law provides that the House may commit a portion of a bill, 
or a part to one committee and part to another (V, 5558), yet under the 
practice of the House until January 3, 1975, a bill or joint resolution 
could not be divided for reference, although it might contain matters 
properly within the jurisdiction of several committees (IV, 4372, 4376). 
On that date, the Speaker was given authority over referral of bills as 
prescribed in clause 2 of this rule (formerly clause 5 of rule X). In 
the 106th Congress the Speaker referred a bill by title to two 
committees (H.R. 1554, Apr. 26, 1999, p. 7355).




[[Page 608]]




Sec. 821. Fraudulent introduction of a 
bill.

  The fraudulent  introduction of a bill involves a question of privilege, and a 
bill so introduced was ordered stricken from the files (IV, 3388). As 
the result of the unauthorized introduction of several bills without the 
knowledge of the Members listed as sponsors, the Speaker directed that 
all bills and resolutions must be signed by the prime sponsor thereof in 
order to be accepted for introduction (Speaker Albert, Feb. 3, 1972, p. 
2521).




Sec. 822. Certain private bills prohibited.

  4. A  private 
bill or private resolution (including an omnibus claim or pension bill), 
or amendment thereto, may not be received or considered in the House if 
it authorizes or directs--


      (a) the payment of money for property damages, for personal 
injuries or death for which suit may be instituted under the Tort Claims 
Procedure provided in title 28, United States Code, or for a pension 
(other than to carry out a provision of law or treaty stipulation);

      (b) the construction of a bridge across a navigable stream; or


      (c) the correction of a military or naval record.


Prohibition on commemorations
  This paragraph derives from section 131 of the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 812) and was made a part of the 
standing rules January 3, 1953 (p. 24). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former clause 
2(a) of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). The prohibition 
relating to correction of a military record does not apply to a private 
bill that changes the computation of retired pay for a former member of 
the armed services (after exhaustion of administrative remedies) but 
does not directly correct his military record (Sept. 18, 1984, p. 
25824).



823. Commemoratives prohibited.

  5. (a)  A bill or 
resolution, or an amendment thereto, may not be introduced or considered 
in the House if it establishes or expresses a commemoration.




[[Page 609]]


  (b) In this clause the term ``commemoration'' means a remembrance, 
celebration, or recognition for any purpose through the designation of a 
specified period of time.


Excluded matters
  The 104th Congress added the prohibition against commemorative 
legislation and directed the Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight (now Oversight and Government Reform) to consider alternative 
means for establishing commemorations, including the creation of an 
independent or executive branch commission for such purpose, and to 
report to the House any recommendations thereon (sec. 216, H. Res. 6, 
Jan. 4, 1995, p. 468). No recommendations were reported. Before the 
House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was 
found in former clause 2(b) of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 
47). The House by unanimous consent waived the prohibition against 
introduction of a certain joint resolution specified by sponsor and 
title proposing a commemoration (which was contained in the resolved 
clause and not merely in the preamble) (Oct. 24, 2001, p. 20545).




824. Correction of errors in reference; and relation to 
jurisdiction.

  6. A  petition, memorial, bill, or resolution excluded under 
this rule shall be returned to the Member, Delegate, or Resident 
Commissioner from whom it was received. A petition or private bill that 
has been inappropriately referred may, by direction of the committee 
having possession of it, be properly referred in the manner originally 
presented. An erroneous reference of a petition or private bill under 
this clause does not confer jurisdiction on a committee to consider or 
report it.


  This clause of the rule was first adopted in 1880, although the 
portion relating to the return of certain petitions and bills was 
adapted from an older rule of 1842 (IV, 3312, 3365). In the 104th 
Congress it was amended to conform to the new prohibition against 
commemorative legislation (sec. 216, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 468). 
Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this 
provision was found in former clause 3 of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 
1999, p. 47).


[[Page 610]]

of order may not be raised as to jurisdiction (IV, 4390, 4391; VII, 
2131). The Speaker may correct the erroneous referral of a bill as 
private by referring it to the appropriate (Union) calendar as a public 
bill when reported (June 1, 1988, p. 13184).

Sponsorship
  Errors in reference of petitions, memorials, or private bills are 
corrected at the Clerk's table, without action by the House, at the 
suggestion of the committee holding possession (IV, 4379). As provided 
in the rule, the erroneous reference of a private House bill does not 
confer jurisdiction, and a point of order is good when the bill comes up 
for consideration either in the House or in the Committee of the Whole 
(IV, 4382-4389). But in cases wherein the House itself refers a private 
House or Senate bill a point



825. Introduction, reference, and change of 
reference of public bills, memorials, and resolutions.

  7. (a) Bills,  memorials, 
petitions, and resolutions, endorsed with the names of Members, 
Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner introducing them, may be 
delivered to the Speaker to be referred. The titles and references of 
all bills, memorials, petitions, resolutions, and other documents 
referred under this rule shall be entered on the Journal and printed in 
the Congressional Record. An erroneous reference may be corrected by the 
House in accordance with rule X on any day immediately after the Pledge 
of Allegiance to the Flag by unanimous consent or motion. Such a motion 
shall be privileged if offered by direction of a committee to which the 
bill has been erroneously referred or by direction of a committee 
claiming jurisdiction and shall be decided without debate.



[[Page 611]]

to the House or is discharged from its consideration.
  (b)(1) The primary sponsor of a public bill or public resolution may 
name cosponsors. The name of a cosponsor added after the initial 
printing of a bill or resolution shall appear in the next printing of 
the bill or resolution on the written request of the primary sponsor. 
Such a request may be submitted to the Speaker at any time until the 
last committee authorized to consider and report the bill or resolution 
reports it

  (2) The name of a cosponsor of a bill or resolution may be deleted by 
unanimous consent. The Speaker may entertain such a request only by the 
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner whose name is to be deleted 
or by the primary sponsor of the bill or resolution, and only until the 
last committee authorized to consider and report the bill or resolution 
reports it to the House or is discharged from its consideration. The 
Speaker may not entertain a request to delete the name of the primary 
sponsor of a bill or resolution. A deletion shall be indicated by date 
in the next printing of the bill or resolution.

  (3) The addition or deletion of the name of a cosponsor of a bill or 
resolution shall be entered on the Journal and printed in the 
Congressional Record of that day.


  (4) A bill or resolution shall be reprinted on the written request of 
the primary sponsor. Such a request may be submitted to the Speaker only 
when 20 or more cosponsors have been added since the last printing of 
the bill or resolution.

  The rule of 1789 provided that all bills should be introduced on 
report of a committee or by motion for leave. By various modifications 
it was first provided that all classes of private bills should be 
introduced by filing them with the Clerk, and in 1890 this system was by 
this rule extended to all public bills (IV, 3365). In the 105th and 
107th Congresses paragraph (a) was amended to effect technical 
corrections (H. Res. 5, Jan. 7, 1997, p. 121; sec. 2(x), H. Res. 5, Jan. 
3, 2001, p. 26). Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th 
Congress, this provision was found in former clause 4 of rule XXII (H. 
Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47).


[[Page 612]]

p. 47). In the 107th and 108th Congresses the House adopted the same 
order, but extended the applicable time to the entire first session 
(sec. 3(d), H. Res. 5, Jan. 3, 2001, p. 24; sec. 3(c), H. Res. 5, Jan. 
7, 2003, p. 7). In the 108th Congress, the House by unanimous consent 
extended such authority through the remainder of the Congress (Oct. 4, 
2004, p. ----). In the 109th and 110th Congresses the House adopted the 
same initial order but for the entire Congress (sec. 3(c), H. Res. 5, 
Jan. 4, 2005, p. ----; sec. 217, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 2007, p. ----).
  At its organization for the 106th Congress the House adopted an order 
of the House that the first 10 bill numbers be reserved for assignment 
by the Speaker during a specified period (sec. 2(g), H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 
1999,

  The motion for a change of reference and subsidiary motions take 
precedence over motions to go into the Committee of the Whole for the 
consideration of appropriation bills and the consideration of conference 
reports (VII, 2124), and may not be debated (VII, 2126-2128). But the 
motion is not in order on Calendar Wednesday (VII, 2117), and is not 
privileged under the rule if the original reference was not erroneous 
(VII, 2125). The motion may be amended, but the amendment, like the 
original motion, is subject to the requirement that it be authorized by 
the committee (VII, 2127). The motion must apply to a single bill and 
not to a class of bills (VII, 2125).

  According to the later practice the erroneous reference of a public 
bill, if it remain uncorrected, in effect gives jurisdiction to the 
committee receiving it (IV, 4365-4371; VII, 1489, 2108-2113; VIII, 
2312). It is too late to move a change of reference after such committee 
has reported the bill (VII, 2110; VIII, 2312), but the Speaker may, 
pursuant to authority granted him by clause 2 (formerly clause 5 of rule 
X) effective January 3, 1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 
34470), refer a bill sequentially to other committees. All bills and 
resolutions must be signed by the primary sponsor thereof (Speaker 
Albert, Feb. 3, 1972, p. 2521).

  Joint sponsorship of public bills by not more than 25 Members was 
authorized in the 90th Congress (H. Res. 42, Apr. 25, 1967, p. 10712). 
Prior thereto a special committee had reported against this practice and 
the report had been adopted by the House (VII, 1029). Effective January 
3, 1979 (H. Res. 86, 95th Cong., Oct. 10, 1978, p. 34929), paragraph (b) 
was added to allow unlimited cosponsorship and to provide a mechanism 
for Members to add their names as cosponsors to bills or resolutions 
that have already been introduced, up until the bill is finally reported 
from committee, and on January 15, 1979, the Speaker announced his 
directive for the processing of lists of cosponsors pursuant to the new 
clause (Speaker O'Neill, Jan. 15, 1979, p. 19).


[[Page 613]]

the bill has reported to the House (or has been discharged from further 
consideration) (Oct. 8, 1985, p. 26668; Feb. 10, 2000, p. 982), and the 
Speaker has vacated unanimous-consent orders of the House to delete 
cosponsors when advised that the bill had already been reported (Aug. 5, 
1987, p. 22458). A Member may request unanimous consent that his name be 
deleted as a cosponsor of an unreported bill during its consideration 
under suspension of the rules and before a final vote thereon (June 9, 
1986, p. 12979).
  Although, before the 106th Congress, paragraph (b)(2) only permitted a 
cosponsoring Member himself to request unanimous consent for his 
deletion as a cosponsor, the primary sponsor of a measure was permitted 
to request unanimous consent to delete from the permanent Record the 
name of a cosponsor he had inadvertently or erroneously listed (Feb. 9, 
1982). This practice was codified in the 106th Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 
6, 1999, p. 47). Unanimous-consent requests to delete Members' names as 
cosponsors are not entertained after the last committee authorized to 
consider

  By unanimous consent a Member may add his own name as a cosponsor of 
an unreported bill where the primary sponsor is no longer a Member of 
the House (Aug. 4, 1983, p. 23188), and a designated Member may be 
authorized to sign and submit lists of additional cosponsors where the 
actual primary sponsor is no longer a Member (e.g., June 23, 1989, p. 
13271; Apr. 5, 2000, p. 4487; June 20, 2001, p. 11196; Sept. 21, 2004, 
p. ----), but the Chair will not otherwise entertain a request to add 
cosponsors by a Member other than the primary sponsor (Mar. 5, 1991, p. 
5026). In fact, the Chair will not entertain any unanimous-consent 
request to add a cosponsor (July 24, 2000, p. 15878), whether such 
request includes only the Member making the request (Oct. 25, 1995, p. 
29352), includes all Members (Dec. 18, 1985, p. 37765), or includes a 
specified additional sponsor (Jan. 28, 1985, p. 1141; May 23, 1985, p. 
13421). Such requests must be made by a primary sponsor through the 
hopper not later than the last day on which any committee is authorized 
to consider and report the measure to the House (Nov. 4, 1997, p. 
24413).

  The Chair does not entertain a unanimous-consent request to designate 
a co-offeror of an amendment (May 20, 2004, p. ----; Sept. 4, 2004, p. 
----).


  At its organization for the 104th Congress the House resolved that 
each of the first 20 bills and each of the first two joint resolutions 
introduced in the House in that Congress could have more than one Member 
reflected as a primary sponsor (sec. 223(g), H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 
469); and the Speaker stated that all signatures of ``primary'' sponsors 
would be required on the bills (Speaker Gingrich, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 551). 
A Member was subsequently added as a ``primary'' sponsor by unanimous 
consent (Jan. 18, 1995, p. 1447).




Sec. 826. Introduction of bills, resolutions, or memorials 
by request.

  (5)  When a bill or resolution is introduced ``by request,'' 
those words shall be entered on the Journal and printed in the 
Congressional Record.




[[Page 614]]

Executive communications
  This provision was adopted in 1888 (IV, 3366). Before the House 
recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, it was found in former 
clause 6 of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). It has never 
been the practice of the House to permit the names of the persons 
requesting the introduction of the bill to be printed in the Record.




827. Reception and reference of executive 
communications, including estimates.

  8. Estimates  of appropriations and all other 
communications from the executive departments intended for the 
consideration of any committees of the House shall be addressed to the 
Speaker for referral as provided in clause 2 of rule XIV.





  This rule was adopted in 1867 and amended in 1880 (V, 6593). It was 
renumbered January 3, 1953 (p. 24). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former rule XL 
(H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). Formerly estimates of appropriations 
were transmitted through the Secretary of the Treasury (IV, 3573-3576, 
4045), but under the Budget Act they are transmitted by the President.